I am captivated! Look at this Low Impact Woodland Home!

Wow! It looks so beautiful!
I would definitely want to live like that

Fantastic im glad someone else has stumbled on this. I think me and my partner came across this in another thread on ATS around a year ago.
Since then we have purchased some land in finland and also have drawn up the plans to build our own. Without hijacking the thread I have also made a thread on this about 9 months back explaining how easy and other plans for other earth homes too.

Feel free to take a look at it if your interested. We also have a small blogg and website detailing our progress. I wont list it here as it may go against t&cs but if you google our earth home you should find it! We hope to be finished next summer - its a great way to live!

Peace

when you talk about sustainable low or no impact living...
then your talking about a "Yurt"

I think I saw that house featured on the "Hobbit's Cribs" series.
On the Shire Channel.

Okay, there's one in every crowd. Usually it's not me, but this morning it is.

Eww. I hate this little house. lol. I imagine it's all full of dampness and insects.

I wouldn't even want it for a camphouse. I'd rather be in a tent.
I like it as a novelty, and I like the idea of it, but to live in it, the reality of it, would be entirely different, methinks.

Just sayin....

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


I guess your idea of 'roughing it' is a hotel with no room service?

just kidding

reply to post by HomerinNC


I deserve your comment, and you may be right a little bit, but I love nature so much. It's my favorite thing really. I think it's the vegetation on top that's throwing me. It would make me feel "underground" somehow.
Probably not the case at all, but somehow it gives me that feeling. Of course, I am a little on the neurotic side.

Go one step further. Build your home from recycled materials. I did. Don't demolish, De-build.

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


I'm sorry, I was only teasing ya
much

Originally posted by CosmicEgg
reply to post by IgnoranceIsntBlisss

 

There are barns that have stood for over a century in the USA that are built of straw bales. Do some research. Quite a lot of books out on building with straw, mud, etc. They last when done correctly and maintained properly. No building will last unless maintained. Maintenance on these costs less than man-made materials and has infinitely less negative impact on the land. Plus, you don't have to wait for the building supply store to open.

Everything has its pros and cons. I know of a straw bale house that virtually went "POOF" when a flame came into contact with the super, super dry bales.

If you want to believe that fellow built that thing with a chainsaw, hammer and one-inch chisel....well, I guess he forgot about the usual aminities of a house plus the walls, ceiling, floors, etc.

An intresting little house op, ya I seen it before and every time it reminds me of the hobits, and its a lot easyer on the eyes then what they build in citys, from on high... if you really look at all those square houses, and all of them side by side and identical, it looks like a child put them all up like on a gamebord, and most likely that gamebord is monopoly.... and from a distance it looks like a legion of identical robots live in them...and you wouldn't be far from the truth......... But all in all these kinds of dwellings can be achieved, and with todays resources and some modern tools and materials...you could build something like this or better, that would last you longer then the cookie cutter ones they build in the hives of humanity. Just dont do it near the city's way to many rules and laws in place, so as to keep everyone in there place, and like randomname said if everybody did this type of work, well then the whole housing economy will crash...then were will people live without the housing economy it will be a crysis... Just messing the whole houseing thing ain't that bad....And these underground houses are reall pleasant in a hot summer, when its 100 degrees outside and you go in to one of these underground houses...man is it ever cool in there, no need for air conditioning and fans...but if anybody is thinking of building one of these do a little research on what the weather and habitat is in wherever your thinking of building one...different habitats=different type of home models....for instance these underground homes would not be a good idea to build in a area that is cold all year long like alaska.

Originally posted by Aliensun

Originally posted by CosmicEgg
reply to post by IgnoranceIsntBlisss

 

There are barns that have stood for over a century in the USA that are built of straw bales. Do some research. Quite a lot of books out on building with straw, mud, etc. They last when done correctly and maintained properly. No building will last unless maintained. Maintenance on these costs less than man-made materials and has infinitely less negative impact on the land. Plus, you don't have to wait for the building supply store to open.

Everything has its pros and cons. I know of a straw bale house that virtually went "POOF" when a flame came into contact with the super, super dry bales.

If you want to believe that fellow built that thing with a chainsaw, hammer and one-inch chisel....well, I guess he forgot about the usual aminities of a house plus the walls, ceiling, floors, etc.

That is interesting. Straw bale walls consistently pass rigorous fire tests largely due to the compaction of the straw and the lime outer plaster preventing circulation of oxygen to feed the fire. I am genuinely interested in more info about your friends home because we are in the process of building a small star bale shelter ourselves.

In Wales no less!

Altogether now :

Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad.
Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.

I'm gonna build me one of them...I'm sure I saw this on the telly - maybe it was on 'grand designs'...

Very interesting. I'd love to build into the side of a hill. Your heating and cooling needs are taken care of. I don't care much for the decor. Not so rusticated. And perhaps a wind plant out in the yard.

Its good to see many other people who are interested in this housing style! I plan to start building my house next year. I will be using cob for the walls and floor and am still debating on weather I should have a living roof (moss, small plants) or do a metal roof. Metal because you can collect rain water off it to filter and use, living roof provides better temperature regulation. Anyway I fell in love with this a few years ago. If you want a great how to book there is one called " The Hand Sculpted House"


Here is a great slide show of a man building his cob low impact home in my home state of Missouri. Its call "a Year of Mud"www.flickr.com...

watch the whole thing it is awesome!!

Peace

reply to post by berkeleygal


Many call these Hobbit houses but in fact the real description of these homes are Sody houses. They were quite common in NZ during the first arrivals of the British. I know, my great grandfather built one for his 13 sons.

reply to post by cloud catcher88


Take a look at some of those breath taking tree houses too. I have some of the most beautiful books just on these alone. You'll find many different pictures of Sody homes via Google images to give you an idea of the diversity of these homes of which many were build by logs and mud.

Stunning.
There is a show here in the UK called 'Grand Designs' and they followed a guy over the months as he built, from scratch, an eco house made of hay bales. Rivals this little beauty from the op pic! Environmental, sustainable, incredible.


edit- spelling

reply to post by berkeleygal


ahhhhhhh, that's me, it's perfect, I love it, thanks for sharing.

reply to post by 5senses


I must find the article as I found plans of a woman who is building her own home from an old airplane and it looks pretty futuristic too.